Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1897)
T H E TORCH OE REASON, SILV E R T O N , OREGON, T H U R SD A Y , JA N U A R Y 28, as any philosopher ever d id .” “ I will solve th e m ystery a la like the rest of the m inisterial tribe “ Well, fetch the bull along. I'm Descartes. I th in k , the refore I ex [ a romance by sa . m vel f*. PVTNAM] (| j j nothing but loaf. T h a t's the ready.” C iia it k k III. chi«f end of a m inister to loaf grace- In d e e d .it seemed as if he was ist. I exist, therefore I live. I It wa« only a little braw l, such as fully; and though •‘Jim m y ,” as he ready, he looked so m ig h ty in hit live, therefore I eat ami «lrink. I eat ai.d d rink,therefo re I discourse. takes ulace alm ost every evening in was sometimes called, had given up superb physical developm ent. I ■•Idnk... fetter... J di covai" a d • a a m ining town. H aving ........... nothing iiiiiiiuu «'»«it- **««»■■», o everything -. 0 v l s ^ r - t a i n T n g - IcT" the . else to amune th e m ,th e in h ab itan ts profession, be h a d n ’t given th a t up, “ this wasn t a successful revival- W hat can be more plain than th a t? The logical conclusion of which is tak e to th is form of recreation. It which is the last privilege th a t m eeting, was it? ” isth e en tertainm ent of savages, clergymen yield. It is th e most “ You d id n ’t begin to pray quick that I am going to sleep, and my philosophy will dissolve in dream s. which as civilization progresses, diflicu t thing in the world for them enough,” said Paddie. “ I w ouldn’t sleep 011 the ground, gives way to the opera and theatre to go to work “ Well, I had the fun of trying, Let me put you in your for the more lively, and the prayer- Jim m y had been a b rillian t at any rate,” said Jim m y. I am though. m e e ti 1 "and the funeral for tho<e M ethod'st m inister. He could satisfied now th a t I ca n ’t whoilop little Led.” And they led the reel who are of a m oresober disposition, count his converts by the thousand. Dick. I feel discouraged, like the ing philosopher and preacher to his I. is impossible for people to keep H e was a man of m arvelous elo- bull when he undertook to stop the quarters. “ Come, Pete, you can stay with nniet* r nd if thev can have no quence. He was full ot sentim ent engine. me, if you want to. T h ere’s plen ty other channel, they will insist upon and poetry. Religion was really a oU |,a ' e J11*1’1' , / 1' ch‘ “ bloody noses and cracked crowns.” lu x u ry «0 him, and he enjoyed it as courage you, I see, said ( ha, lie of room .” “ Oh, no. I ’m all right now. L ittle Pete came running up to such. It was a species of sens,urns s mu < t u r n ' y o u w o n < v\.i 1 I ’ll go hom e.” And off lie went. C harlie, as if to claim his protection, delight, am i I suppose th a t is the turn over a new .«it. “ I don’t know w hat to th in k of H e was a queer-looking hoy, rath er reason why he at last came to his lave uim <»v«r <1 1 taU for his ap p aren t 7ge, •'*»« very ruin. He had no m oral principle, leaves, am i have co.... o the n ,s. th a t little chap ,” said C harlie. “ I guess he’s a rascal. I never can «lightly built, as if th e wind m ight only good-leeling. He hail no in- c a n , oro . t i n • ’ blow him away. He looked eon- tellectual conviction; for, though have been converted m gh o n t o a get a square look at him ,he’s so shy. He’s nice-looking, but vou c a n ’t starn ly scared. His bright eyes his mind was bright, yet it was just hundre« times. were wide open and restless. He bright enough to reject the old J ‘B ut you can try it a hundred tell anybody by iheir looks. He m ay be up to some d ev iltrv . shrank from com panionship, and ideas, an d n«>t strong enough to go times more sai a««i«. a» ig G ood-night, Paddie. I guess we liked to he alone. Nobody knew forth and build in accordance with 1 H am p 0 * s <)U 0 ’ rn, can sleep now. We’ve had our whence he came. H e seemed like the new. H e was a child of pas- ' ,l^ \ bl,,n<;r m<1^ j usual e n terta in m e n t.” an apparition. He was well sion, and it is no wonder th a t in e ’ ' * / ‘ ° , ... We will return to our friend Bill behaved, and kept himself scru- the m idst of dazzling tem ptations in the last ditch, and I th in k I will now, whose home was in a d ista n t nulousv clean, though his clothes b efell. He m ust indeed have been stay there. an« I solitary spot. H e leaped were alm ost nothing but rags, an angel of light to have been able b u t it s a pu v . w a n vou to n « G oble,1 T hrone was troubled b u t to play so powerfully as be did so respectable, it you only lightly across a narrow ravine, ami followed through the straggling little abouttl»e waif. It was sublime- upon the passions of men and If I only •/ would! IIow do * you tim ber a som ewhat beaten path w ay Jy indifferent, even like a g reatcity , women, exalting and sweeping them know th a t? I would, and yet I up the m ountains. H e so o n cam e to any body and everybody. Pete away 011 tides of splendid elo- to a large, open space or “ pocket, ’ can ’,.” m ight have disappeared as mysteri- quence,w ithout him self being moved “ Don’t you believe in the free from whence couhl he seen a vast ouslv as he came, and not a word to the very depths of his sensitive dom o f w ill? ” extent of country. A dozen lofty would have been said. He m an- nature, and so ravished by physi- “T hat is a p re tty deep question oaks were scattered about, in tin* aged to pick up enough gold to cal beauty that the influence was foT a druken m in to answ er." m idst of which was a c »bin with an ob tain a decent living. Sometimes, alm ost overpowering. A sublime “ Well, I think a d runken m an exquisitely k e p t garden in front. he did a bit of cooking for the m enial belief would have saved can answer it as well as anybody,” It was. indeed, a scene fresh an d m iners. him*, but he lacked th a t, and his >ajd Paddie. “ We are free to do beautiful as p a r a d is e . The golden “ W hy, little Pete,” said Charlie, preaching was only a form of pas- w hat we are fa ted to a nd th a t’s sunlight was Hooding it, ami the “ vou are scared again, and all for sion, ami is it strange th a t that a jj n m any peaks seen for m ilts away" nothing.” passion found other channels? “ I believe you,” said Jim m y. “ I were shining as if covered with “ I know it,” said Pete; “ but So here he was at last, a disrepnt- have given up the struggle. I c a n ’t jew’els. The wildness ami g ra n Dick’s a fighting, and I thought able wreck, with no hope, living J ,, anything. They who say I deur of the view were inexpres-ible. he’d fight me.” from hand to m outh in this corner can do not understand me. Can 1 T he ta ll trees; the vast defiles; the “Oh, he w ouldn’t touch you. lie of the world, am ong rude m en, h< h av e off drinking whiskey? No. the huge rocks tum bled about, as if A nother m an m ight in my circum long ago there had been some fa n takes those of his own size.’’ who had the power “ the applause ............................. “ But he swears terrib ly , and he of listening senates to com m and.” glances; and I m ight in the circum - tastic b attle of the giants; the looks ugly.” He was generally peaceable, and stances of another m an. But I, in gleam ing cliffs ami superb m oun “ Well, he is ugly, and so its the eam p delighted to hear him ,,,y circum stances, can do 1,0 other tain-tops, tnanv of them clothed well enough to keep out of his tell stories, which he could do with titan I do do, and th a t is to drink with dazzling snow’, all suffused way.” rem arkable dram atic ability. To- this bottle to the dregs.” and glorified with the in* ffaldc tin ts “ There was a a fight fight however; night, however, he fe lt his oats, “ T h a t’s a good swig, and I guess of sunset,—m ade a spectacle of h a v in g a sort of e x tra d r u n k , and you had h itte r go to bed on it. but it didn’t last long. wondrous magnificence. ()ne seemed Big Dick was the bullv of the he im agined that he could m aster You w o n 't he able to talk theology to he in fairylan d , ami couhl r settlem v i ti v n i ent. ' .. . He - - - was ........ over .... .................. — D ick . H e so o n lav with bloody after such a d«»se.” six feet alm ost forget th at he had ever high, and strong as a bull, and nose upon the ground, not m uch “Oh, yes. I’m in just the mood hear«I the “ still sad m usic <»f h u m an ugly as the devil. He was a per- hurt however, hut convinced th at for iheology. I never unders'ood ity ” in crowded thorougfarcs. It feet b a 'b a ria n . H e was horn in the in m eeting Big Bill upon the field the universe so well as I do now. I was like a vast, sweet tem ple of wilds of Texas, and had been a cow- of the “ noble art of s* lf-defence” he r«*ally believe th a t I could evolve a n atu re, where th e spirit couhl com boy all his life till b ec am e to the had m istaken his calling. system. I a m full of the ideas of m une with noblest forms, and mines. He worked h ard during “ I ’m m uch obliged to yer, Plato, and I penetrate the secret of revel in pure end beautiful ex ist the day, and caroused at night and preacher, f«»r giving me a chance. Hegel. “ I am never so ignorant as ence, ami forget the superstitions of kept things lively. It was seldom I wish yer were bigger, so we could when I m sober, and am never so blinded men and the tram m els o f th a t he could get a n y o n e to fight have a longer tussle. I’ve no wise as when I’m d ru n k ; and I custom , l’here are times when sol w ith him . and so he had the field chance at all am ong these fellers, th in k tim es the way wi’h the re-t itude is inspiring, and the rude to him self ; but tonight the “ minis- they all back down so quick.” of m ankind. To be a phdoeoper, aspect-4 of nature «hdightful; atul it te r” pitched into him, and was “ We ought to im port a hull lor one m ust he intoxicated.” is a rich, experience in one’s life to ignom iniouslv defeated. your especial benefit,” said Charlie, “ You are a first-class philos- dwell am ong these savage su rro u n d Golden T hrone could boast of a “ then we’d have some fun. sure.” opner then,” said Charlie. “ I sup- ings, so grand and terrible, and m inister as well as a deacon; but the “ I ’d give fifty dollars to try it,” pose you can solve us any riddle, d rink in the spirit of the universe, m inister w asn’t q u ite so sober and said Dick., I ell us who was the lather ot and become heroic in thought and well-behaved as the deacon, and “ I'd give another, for I would like A braham 's children. It you can purpose. m ade no pretence at praying. He to see you bite the dust,” ta id auswer that, you will do as m uch TU . Z ? I GOLDEN X X 1897 r v 1 I V / »» A V , was drunk about all the tim e, and Jim m y. THRONE ------------- e ---------- ------- A V ~ V r X»